YouTube tests out converting video clips to 3-D

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YouTube is testing a new feature to convert uploaded videos into 3-D content with a click of a button.

Starting Wednesday, users can click ‘Edit Info’ on a video’s watch page and select ‘3D Video’ to convert an already uploaded or fresh two-dimension clip into 3-D, YouTube said in a blog post. Unfortunately, users will still need 3-D glasses to view the clips on most devices.

The popular video-sharing site has been experimenting with adding 3-D capabilities for some time. However, they’ve been hampered because few people own cameras capable of filming in 3-D, and despite a big push from electronics companies, adoption of 3-D devices has been disappointing.

YouTube’s conversion tool skips the camera, simulating depth by measuring color and motion and combining two sets of images (one original, one created by YouTube) to mimic the way a human eye perceives depth in the real world (the company pointed out that the best results still require a 3-D camera).

Also announced today: Verified YouTube users with a ‘clean track record’ will be allowed to upload videos longer than 15 minutes.

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-- Shan Li